Compression
by xTamashii
Summary: The sound of silence was somehow the loudest noise yet. Even if you love someone, some things just never change. Ion x Esther DISCONTINUED
1. prologue

Well. I've decided that this will be my Fanfiction, my Ion x Esther multi-chaptered one. No more messing around with story collections and oneshots (although I will still write those to those who wish to read them!) Here is the prologue. If I get plenty of encouragement, I will try my hardest to update quickly.

Ion x Esther obviously. With a twist.

Well, here's the prologue of _Compression _(Yeah, bad title, eh? Couldn't think of much) And it might be a little mysterious, slightly AU, and…um…I dunno what else, really. We'll just see how this one turns out!

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**---**prologue—

**---**night of rebirth—

_Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Everywhere. The pitch-blackness was all consuming._

_Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Pause._

_There was a rustling noise emanating from the bushes. When his eyes fell upon the place where the noise had originated, all was still immediately. _

_Dead silence. Silence. Silence. Silence._

_The silence seemed to echo throughout the confined space of his mind._

_Up above? Down below? Left? Right? Left? Right?_

_Lost. He was lost._

_Lost. Lost. Lost._

_Echoes. Echoes. Echoes. Echoes._

_Was this an endless cavern? Was his own mind an empty shell._

_Empty. Empty. Empty. Empty._

_He didn't even know his own name anymore. Then a torrent of memories burst into his hollow mind, echoing loudly with his past._

_ION FORTUNA! FORTUNA! FORTUNA!_

_His newly awoken mind yelled at him. So many images. So many, so many, so many…_

_Then one burst through. There was no more echoing…_

_Esther…_

_He could hear his own voice, whispering aloud._

_Esther…I…love…you…_

_Then all was blacker, more silent, and even deader than before._

_A flash of light. A crackling noise. A flurry of movement._

_Then he knew no more…_

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Geez…scared myself with that one. :P Yes, I'm lame and scare easily. Hopefully will update tomorrow. So, don't give up on me because this prologue was lame!


	2. elation

Heh. Typing the prologue and first chapter in the same night…and putting them up in the same night. I had so much fun typing this chpater. Oh well.

So, hopefully this will seem better than the prologue (I hope) so don't give up on this story! I've got big plans for this story of mine, so keep on reviewing to give Tamashii some inspiration. Yesh. Alrighty then, on with our tale!

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**---**chapter one**—**

**---**elation—

Esther dully flipped through a small stack of documents. Then, she found one that caught her eye—a simple letter, with the most lovely, clear yet beautiful handwriting she has ever lay her eyes upon.

"I do wonder…who would be sending someone like _me _mail?" She stared at the letter, as if she were expecting it to vanish, or blow up or something along those lines.

Esther wasn't exactly ranked very high in on the 'list of social status' in her small village, so she never received mail. The only friend she really had was…well…

She shook her head very quickly at that. No. She promised she would try to forget about…about _him. _

_He _was the only one she had ever loved, and ever would be loved by. With shaking fingers, she tore off the top part of the envelope.

It didn't vanish.

It didn't explode.

It wasn't a death sentence.

Nor did it say a single hateful or harsh thing against her.

It was from…from…from _him. _

How could she have not recognized his handwriting?

Ion Fortuna.

She had become so besotted with him; it was hard to say in words.

Thank the heavens above she hadn't never told him. Or else it would be the end of her life, and the only friendship she had ever had.

There was only one way to describe the way she was feeling now…

_Elated. _

Happier than she'd ever been, Esther quickly and eagerly scanned over the letter. It read:

_Dear Esther,_

_Have you been well? I hope so. I haven't seen you in quite a long time, and maybe I could get the opportunity to see you once again, now that it has presented itself._

_I will be coming into a larger town called Ocren, which, if memory serves, is only a day's travel away from your village._

_If it would be alright with you, I would very much like it to come over to your house and stay for awhile. _

_Please send your reply. It will reach me soon; just use the return address on the outside of this envelope._

_That is all, and I really hope you are doing well, dearest Esther!_

_Your caring companion,_

_Ion Fortuna_

Esther felt like crying tears of joy. Especially over _Dearest Esther. _He hadn't called her that in the longest time. He only called her that of he was trying to comfort her, very worried about her, or very happy with her. It was probably a mixture of all, though.

She hadn't felt this excited or happy in a long time. She dashed over to her desk, yanked some paper seemingly out of thin air, along with a pen.

She smoothed out the paper and quickly scrawled out her response. With a huge, unfamiliar smile about her lips, Esther carefully sealed the envelope and slipped it away with the post.

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_3 Days Later_

Ion was spread out on a bench in his grandmother's garden. It was such a lovely day today.

He also began wondering…had his letter made it's way to Esther? He sure hoped so.

Esther… 

It had been so, so long since they had last met. Ion believed Esther to be his only and closest friend.

Dearest Esther… 

He sighed, and rolled over, facing the back of the bench. He knew how he felt. Did she? Probably not.

Did she feel the same? Even less likely of a conclusion.

He didn't want to ruin his friendship with her. He didn't want to lose his dearest friend, and his first and only love. He knew he wouldn't love anyone else, even if Esther had decided to hate him, ignore him forever.

Then a horrible thought crossed his mind.

_What if…what if she received my letter but didn't bother responding? What if she…really had come to despise me…as I've feared for so long?_

Just then, a servant strode p to him.

"Lord Fortuna," the man said crisply, "a letter. A letter had arrived for you."

"For me?" He sat up immediately, ruby-red eyes wide with surprise, but also still very serious.

"Yes, or it wouldn't be addressed to you, now would it sir?" The man handed over the letter.

Ion snatched it quickly from the man, who bowed and strode away. Heart pounding somewhere in his throat, he flipped over the letter to see who it was from.

_Esther Blanchett._

He stared in awe at the letter for awhile, then a huge grin spread easily across his face.

He quickly tore open the envelope to reveal a hastily folded sheet of paper. His smile grew.

_Esther…you must have been in a hurry, haven't you?_

He caressed the paper lightly before unfurling it somehow, without ripping it, and began to read:

_Dear Ion,_

_I'm doing very well, thank you! Of course life has been lonely without you around, seeing as I don't have too many friends! Of course, I've missed you so much! It's been such a shame that we haven't seen more of each other!_

_Of course! Ocren is actually probably only half a day, if you take the new trail that has been built. It's a very nice road, too, not as rocky or dirty as the last one._

_I would be indeed honored to have you over in my home, Lord Fortuna. It would be my please. I can hardly wait! I've already begun to make preparations._

_I hope you will be arriving soon! My life just feels so empty and lonely without you around. I guess that goes to show how much I really miss you and want you to come. I hope you'll be departing soon, for I don't know if I can wait another minute for your arrival!_

_I'll treasure your letter, hope you can come soon, and also hope you yourself is doing very well, beloved Ion!_

_Waiting impatiently for your arrival,_

_Esther Blanchett_

_PS: Please, please, please, please, please, please! Come soon! _

Ion smiled through the whole time he was reading her letter. He couldn't have been happier. He blushed a bit at the _Beloved Ion _part. She used to call him that often, but the week she had to leave, she stopped calling him that. He had missed the title and was glad to be called this again.

With the letter in hand, he sprang up off of the bench and raced throughout the mansion until he reached his grandmother's room.

When he did, he threw open the doors and came sprinting in. His grandmother was leaning back comfortable in a silk chair, reading a novel. She looked up when he burst in.

"Ion? Is something the ma—?"

"Grandmother, we must go now. We must go to Ocren right away."

Mirka Fortuna opened her mouth to respond, then thought better of this and closed it. She simply nodded. "Very well, young one, we shall depart immediately."

Ion almost collapsed to the floor with relief.

_Almost, Esther, almost…_

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Wow. Long chapter for me. PHEW! –passes out- A prologue and a chapter in one night…I'm putting it up now because I don't think I'll have time tomorrow. If I do have time, well, I'll just have to write another one, eh?

Pronunciations:

Ocren (ah-KREEN)

Just in case anyone cared. I didn't get the name from somewhere that I know of, really. That's all for now…


	3. restriction

Well…firstly to answer a few questions.

Yes, my story is AU.

Yes, the Prologue was kinda dark and the first chapter wasn't, but it was the prologue, remember. The prologue happens around the middle of the story.

And I'm not so sure if I'll be using other AX members. Probably not. But we'll see.

Now, with chapter 2…

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---chapter two—

---restriction—

A log, dark corridor stretched out before her. Thousand of creaky wooden door lined either side of the hallway.

_There was little light. Only the flickering flame on the wax-dripping candle she had clutched in her hand. The woman lifted up her skirts and began to run, plunging the hall behind her into total darkness._

_Esther had to run to keep up with the woman's pace. She was very fast._

_The hallway was still pitch black. The woman was nowhere in sight. There were strange whispering noises seeming to come from within the walls. What the whispers said was inaudible, indistinguishable from her own labored breathing._

_Adrenaline began to course through her veins. There was nowhere to go, except in one of the doors…_

_The doors seemed to be the only things she could see. Everywhere else she looked there was darkness. The blackness was suffocating._

_She longed to scream, but found that when she opened her mouth to do so, nothing came out._

_The whispers that had sounded from the walls became louder and more audible. They whispered menacingly top her as she ran. _

'_The Silence…the silence…the silence…'_

_Their whispers echoed throughout the pitch-black corridor._

_She felt cool breath on the back of her neck, and before she could react, her mind was filled with a blindingly painful white light, and Esther knew no more…_

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Esther sat up out of bed immediately, gasping and panting as if she had just run for miles. She had been dreaming…

No…this was no dream. It was some hellish nightmare. She vaguely remembered the details.

_Dark…corridor…whispering…menacingly…the Silence…blinding light…_

She couldn't remember a thing. But… the Silence? What did that mean? It had scared the hell out of her in her nightmare, she knew that much.

Well, it was just a nightmare, no big deal.

_Right?_

She gave her head a violent shake to clear her foggy mind. Well, whatever it was, it must have passed. It was only a nightmare, just a nightmare…

Then why did the corridor feel so…so…familiar? It was the weirdest thing, to have some kind of deja vu during a bad dream? It was weird all right, but there wasn't much she could actually do about it.

With a heavy sigh, Esther got up out of bed to change and get ready for the day. Another day…ugh…

After She had finished changing, she grabbed her cloak from off of a nearby chair, threw it over her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head, and walked out the door.

The sun shimmered brightly in the sky. Enough to give Esther a massive headache. Tugging her cloak more tightly around her, she picked up her pace, keeping her head down. Nobody seemed to recognize her. That was good. If someone did, she knew that she was sure to hear hell about it.

She paused in front of a run-down store. She couldn't believe that she was here of all places, but what other choice did she have? She only hoped that this old hag would have answers.

A stout, wrinkly old woman looked up from the tattered book she was reading. Her foggy, blind eyes stared unseeingly at Esther's cloaked face. "Why have you come here my dear? I sense something is troubling you."

Esther's reply was curt, "I had a nightmare."

"I see. And can you remember any key words or any important images?"

"Yes. A dark, dark corridor…"

The woman froze, her blind eyes wide and horrified.

Esther ignored this, continuing on, "and something about Silence."

A chilled wind swept through the small shop at the work, even though the door was tightly shut.

The small old woman went into a rage, her face livid.

"Out, out, OUT! OUT of my shop, how DARE you say such things in my presence, OUT!"

And with that, the fortune unceremoniously kecked Esther out of her run down shop.

"Damn." Esther muttered, rubbing her sore behind. "Today sucks."

What Esther did not notice, was the fact that her hood had fallen off. Only when she noticed a crowd gathering around her looking horrified did she realize it.

A stocky, hairy man stepped forward first and pointed a trembling finger at her.

"Y-you…y-you're…y-you're…_her _DAUGHTER aren't you?" The man looked fearful.

Another man stepped forward, looking vicious. "HOW DARE YOU SET FOOT OUT HERE YOU FILTHY WENCH! I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO SHOW YOUR FACE HERE EVER AGAIN!" He bellowed loudly. There were choruses of agreement.

Esther swore and rummaged around on the ground for a rock, or any kind of self-defense weapon, because she knew she was screwed.

Why wouldn't she be, if she was the daughter of a mass murderer?

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And that's that! Sorry for taking so long to update, I had writer's block :P That was exhausting to write, even though it's not that long. Sorry if it sucks, I'm really tired right now…gah…Well, please review, and I'll also try to update Red and Blue soon.

That's all for now!


	4. oppression

Yay! Another chapter. I'll have fun writing this story, especially when it gets good.

Well, on with our chapter!

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—chapter three—

—oppression—

Esther raised her now dull blue eyes to the men holding clubs before her. She had received beatings like this before for being careless, it was no big deal. Those damned town elders were who had her constantly beaten every time she showed her face.

So, she decided to venture out of her home only in disguise. The bulky, muscled men around her sneered at her, and shouted taunts that she couldn't hear. Her head throbbed and was spinning insanely, like a tornado.

But an older man—one of the elders, approached her, and leaned down a little so she could hear him. "One more time you show your face, I swear it, Blanchett, one more time and I'll have you tortured and hung."

All Esther could do was look up at him. She attempted to glare, but that hurt her battered face.

The older man simply sneered at her, before strolling briskly away, motioning for the other men to follow.

Esther felt like passing out. The ground was lurching to the side, almost as if the land was trying to dump her off of the planet. It was around sunset; the sky appeared to be on fire with thousands of colors.

She was seeing a lot of red, she realized with a shock. But only when she noticed the warm, wet sticky substance that dripped off of her face, she realized that she was seeing blood.

Exhausted, depressed, and bitter, Esther passed out into a long, deep slumber.

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Ion was not comfortable.

Not by a long shot.

There was some old Terran harping on about his grandchildren, while driving at the same time. He would NOT shut up. And that put the young Earl in a VERY foul mood.

Eventually, he was able to tune out the old man's bothersome ranting, and wonder where on earth they were now. Well, the guy is pretty old…so maybe he would have a heart attack and Ion would be off the hook?

Psh. As if he ever had such good luck.

That, coupled with the fact the car had lots of turbulence made him even less happy.

_Damn this world. God must hate me. _He turned his eyes to the sky, glaring at the slow-moving dark clouds. _It probably will rain soon._

After about another hour or so of the old fool's useless nonsense, they had finally arrived at the village. He could see people running around, doing various tasks and sometimes running into another villager and conversing for awhile.

Well, this seemed like a pleasant enough place. Or so he hoped.

On had his cloak on, just in case the sun decided to pay a visit to torment him.

But for whatever reason, the villagers looked horrified at seeing a cloaked figure arrive at their village. One woman dropped the bundle of clothing she was carrying and sank to her knees, head in her hands. A young man who appeared to be one of her sons ran out to comfort her, throwing a murderous look in Ion's direction.

_Well, something must have happened, I presume. _

Judging from the horrified looks on the villagers' faces, yes, something had happened. Something that the villagers would rather not relive.

The car pulled to stop and the young Earl flung open the door and stepped out. The elderly driver of the car drove quickly and smoothly out of the village.

Ion resisted the urge to chase down the car and beat the driver to a pulp, but he had to control himself or else the villagers would be scare to death of him.

Pulling his cloak firmly around him, he headed to where he hoped was the location of Esther's small cottage home.

After a good deal of walking, he came across a small cottage that was located exactly where the address said it would.

_Why does she live all the way on the other end of town…?_

Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, nobody appeared to be home. The curtains were drawn tightly over the small, battered windows and the door was firmly locked.

_Maybe she went out?_

He decided that was a possibility. Without further ado, he set back off through the village to ask anyone if they had seen her, and to search for her himself.

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Esther groaned, and struggled to sit up, but a rough pair of small hands pushed her back down.

"That wouldn't be a wise decision, child." The person took a puff if a pipe. She could smell it, and glimpsed the said pipe out of the corner of her eye. The crackly voice continued, "How are you feeling dear? You were rather badly injured. How did it happen?"

Esther propped herself up on her elbows, and rubbing her eyes, looked around. She was in one of the back rooms of the old, run-down fortune shop. Then the one who brought her here must have been…

She looked directly in front of her. It was the same blind old woman who had rudely kicked her out yesterday.

"How did you find me?" Esther asked, her voice hoarse.

The woman took another puff of her pipe before turning one blind eye to her.

"I heard some of the village men getting rowdy out there. Only God knows what happened to you now, child. I certainly have no clue."

"Ah."

An awkward silence followed; Esther had no idea what else to say. Then, thinking back and remembering, she asked, "Why did you kick me out of your shop before? About the…" she gave a small shudder, "Silence, I mean. What does it mean? The fact that you were so upset proves you do know something."

"Those are things you shouldn't know."

"Oh? Try me."

The woman exhaled heavily; smoke streaming from her mouth.

"Aye, then. I will tell you. But on one condition."

"What, then?"

"That you tell me about your mother."

"So you know."

"…Yes. I have my ways of knowing. So, tell me all that you yourself have knowledge of, child."

"Very well. I don't know much, except that my mother was a very fearsome woman, whose hair was as red as the blood that she spilled. She was nicknamed the Goddess of Death. She killed simply for her own pleasure, not for any other reason. But…"

"But?"

Esther closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

"She fell in love…with a vampire."

The woman straightened up. "You don't say?"

"It's true. But he had no feelings for her. He almost killed her."

"Well, who is your father?"

"I haven't finished yet." She sighed and opened her eyes. Her voice was weary as she spoke. "She fell in love a second time. This time, with a human, and a noble at that. But, unlike last time, he returned her feelings. They had plans to run away together. My mother was six months pregnant.

"Unfortunately, though, the nobleman was found out, and killed for assisting an enemy. My mother was held prisoner. She gave birth in captivity. She sent me away to be raised by one of her close friends, just before her execution…"

Esther closed her eyes again, finished speaking.

There was silence for a while. Not even the old woman took a single puff on her pipe.

"You have earned the right…" She said slowly, "for me to tell you. But know this, child, and know it well. The tale I am about to weave for you is one of hellish nightmares and tragedies, of bloodlust and hatred, of shadows and darkness, of immortality and death. Of Silence and Compression."

Esther's eyes widened, her eyes burning with a thousand questions. She only voiced one of them. "Silence…and…Compression…?"

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That's all for now. Well. That was fun to write. The next one will be even more fun. You will now be learning why this story is called what it is, and about the Silence in the next xhapter. Both are important to the plot! X3

Well, please read and review, I'll be updating A.S.A.P.


	5. revelation

Yay! Chapter 4!

OMG this will be so much fun to write. Well, let's see where I go with this, hm? I don't even know yet myself…

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—chapter four—

—revelation—

"Yes." The old woman sighed heavily, and set down her pipe before looking unseeingly at Esther. She couldn't help but shudder. That unseeing gaze was intense and piercing,

"Let's start with Silence."

"A-alright."

"The Silence is a creature. Not anything living, but more like one of the dead. They aren't spirits; even evil spirits are pure. The Silence is a name they call themselves. They penetrate one's sanity. The Silence can change a person, toy with them, crush them."

"I don't think I understand."

The woman sighed again, folding her hands beneath her chin.

"Child. These are matters that are no easy concept. I am trying to explain, so please be patient for the moment."

"Ah…sorry."

"Anyways, the Silence are fiends. They use your own memories to manipulate. Even the most fearless will go insane by simply looking at Silence. It isn't anything anyone on the whole world should have to endure. Ever. The Silence shouldn't exist. They are a type of being that really _should not be here._ They only appeared because of us."

"Us?"

"Yes. We caused them to appear."

"Do they…have any weaknesses?"

"I can't say for sure. Most people think they are extinct, long gone. But I know better."

"You know for sure they still exist."

"Indeed. Do you want to know how I became blind?"

"I—"

The woman cut her off. "That dream you had. It symbolizes the Silence. They remove any possible escapes, forcing you to turn to them. Never turn to them, even if it's your only option."

"Why…why would anyone?" Esther asked, her face pale as paper.

"They are tempting in their own wicked ways. They extract our worst fears from the very core of our soul and use them to tempt us. They happen to call themselves this because…the silence that surrounds them is so deafening and unnatural, it kills some people. Wither that, or they commit suicide."

"I think…I understand it…sort of. But what is…Compression?"

The woman cast her blind eyes down. "I was hoping…that you would forget I had said that."

"…Why…?"

"Because…" The woman now gazed towards the ceiling. "It ios the worst of all of this."

"How? What is it?"

"You lose yourself. Simple as that."

Esther wore an expression between confusion and sadness. "How can you lose yourself?" She asked softly.

"Your mind becomes as empty as a shell. As hollow and useless. It's impossible to retrieve yourself. It compresses you and wears you away until ther's nothing left but the darkness. It's part of the process for becoming a Silence."

"Part of? What do you mean by part of?"

"There is another step…"

"Well?"

"No! No, that's enough! All I promised to tell you about was Silence and Compression, yes? Well, that's all. Be gone now! Your injuries should be healed! Shoo, shoo!"

Esther carefully rose from bed, grabbed her clothing and began to put it all back on, careful not to disturb the bandages. She snatched her cloak off of the coat rack and pulled it over her shoulders. With one last glance at the woman, Esther pulled her hood securely over her face and dashed out the door.

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Ion had asked everywhere, but before he could even open his mouth to speak, they all just scurried away like rats.

_People in this village have problems._

A woman ran in circles, screaming her head off.

_Serious problems._

_No sign of Esther yet either. I haven't even been able to say a word…_

His train of thought was cut off as he saw another cloak figure exiting quickly from a run-down fortune shop. The figure was making an effort to move quickly, but was limping. Ion could smell the faint scent of blood coming from the direction of the cloaked figure. After a few second of limping, the figure stopped, leaning on a building to catch its breath.

Ion looked down at his own cloak. He then realized it. _They were the only two people in the village wearing cloaks._

So this is who caused him to be screamed at by just approaching people. He narrowed his eyes lightly. For now, he would just follow this person.

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Esther winced as she limped away from the shop. She could have sworn her leg wound had reopened, but now was not the time to examine it. She had to make it home. She. _Had. _To.

As she continued to limp, using the wall for support, she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. She recognized that all-too-familiar sensation. _She was being followed. _

Whoever it was who was following her would be sorry. If they followed her all the way to her quaint little home all the way at the other end of the village, that is. Esther pressed her lips together, and tried her best to pick up the speed.

After about a half hour of limping and cursing, she had reached the opposite end of the village, and her shabby little home.

She dragged her wounded leg up the stairs, and stood before the front door. Then she had the same feeling again. Whoever had been following her earlier was still here. She ground her teeth together and whirled around, her cloak swooshing around her. Nobody ever really came to this side of the village. Everyone knew she lived here.

Lifting her head ever so slightly so she could get a glimpse of her stalker, she noticed that this person, too, was wearing a cloak. As a disguise? Her stalker resembled her; they were about the same height, and even their cloaks looked similar. Thje only one who ever wore cloaks around here was her.

She scowled at the newcomer, her voice raised slightly so he could hear her. "Whoever you are, I happen to know you've been following me, and I'd like to know why."

The reply was curt. "And? What do you intend to…" The voice trailed off. The figure seemed surprised. "Esther…?" It asked tentatively.

She thought that she would die of shock. _That voice…that voice…that…voice…_

Ion tore off his cloak; it was now dark out. "Esther?" He repeated, looking upon her with uncertain eyes.

Esther tore off her cloak as well.

Stare.

Pause.

Blink.

"Ion?"

Awkward silence.

Then, the two blinked a few more times, before grinning in the exact same moment, and running—well, Esther was limping—at each other. They embraced, and both were happy.

…For the time being.

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And that is that. You people should feel lucky, me updating twice in a day! Yay. Reunion!

I hope you liked this chapter. Next chapter hopefully will be up tomorrow.

Please read and review!


	6. illusion

I've been so busy with Matchmakers, I almost forgot about this story! Ah!

I'm sorry, I was planning to update ages ago, but my 'friend' had been pretty much forcing me to update Matchmakers.

So, I apologize, and on with chapter five!

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—chapter five—

—illusion—

Esther honestly couldn't remember feeling any happier. Ion was here. He was actually here. She hoped he hadn't heard any stories from the townspeople. They always told tales about how she took after her mother, that she killed in cold blood too.

She could only shake her head in wonder. If she ever found out who started these tall tales, they would have hell to pay, that was for sure.

After she and Ion had met again, he had helped her limp inside, and attempt to make tea. To make a long story short, it was rather chaotic, especially with a bad leg. End result? Ion wound up making the tea. Esther snorted in spite of herself. _So much for my hospitality._

The two friends had taken seats at Esther's small, worn little table, drank tea, laughed, and talked late into the night. Esther could honestly feel herself nodding off while Ion went on about some kind of issues involving memory loss and disappearances. Something registered in the back of her foggy mind, but she was too exhausted and muddled to wonder about it.

She didn't even notice that she had put her head in her arms, and that Ion had gotten up, and was shaking her shoulder gently.

"Esther? Esther, wake up."

She wanted to tell him that she was more or less awake, but not in the mood for talking, and the fact that he was shaking her shoulder was bothering her. So, she merely grumbled, and made a lazy attempt to swat his arm away.

She heard him sigh heavily. "Alright, I understand the fact that you're awake, but at least make it to your room, alright?"

She decided that that sounded reasonable. But Ion was way ahead of her. He was already helping her stand up, and limp to her small, relatively clean room.

With Ion's assistance, she managed to lie down in bed, only to realize that she had forgotten to make him a bed. Amazed at her absent-mindedness, she struggled to sit up, only to be stopped by Ion. She looked at him confusedly, wondering why he was stopping her.

Almost as if he had read her mind, he shook his head slowly. "I can sleep on the sofa or something, so don't worry about it. You don't look too good, so I suggest you sleep." With that, he stood up, and walked smoothly out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Esther threw her arm across her forehead, staring up at the ceiling, feeling sore, worn out, a bit dizzy, and very confused.

She felt like such a horrible hostess for not preparing somewhere for Ion to sleep in her small, cheap home, but she had been busy being harassed and getting beat up by the thuggish villagers.

_Oh well. We all have out off days, right?_

Maybe 'off days' was an understatement.

She had heard too much, thought about too much. So much had happened lately, so much had changed.

And so much would never be the same.

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"Sir. Important news."

"Is it really that important?"

"Yes sir, I swear."

"Very well then. Do tell."

"We have received word that the Earl of Memphis has reached Ocren, the small port city."

"And…"

"He chose to be dropped off. At a tiny village about a day's trip away from Ocren."

"And this village…"

"They call it Shirohana Village, the town of white flowers."

"I see. And where exactly is this vampire staying?"

"You won't believe me sir."

"I insist you tell me."

"You do remember our serial killer, do you not?"

The lord was silent, his ebony eyes darkening.

"Her daughter, am I right? That damn demon woman's daughter…she still lives…"

"Yes…my Lord…"

"I will handle this."

"Very good, my Lord."

The servant bowed low, and sprinted out of the room.

He could kill that girl. He would kill that girl. No. He would do much worse than kill her…

He would Silence her…

Permanently.

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_It was dark. Dark and damp. A fog filled her mind, blocking all of her senses except for a mind-numbing pain that she could feel all over her body._

_She could hardly see. Everything was dark and blurred. She could hear her own labored breathing, slow and heavy._

_A figure stood over her, making strange motions. The motions looked like slashing motions. With each of these motions, she could feel even more pain on various parts of her body._

_Her head spun as she attempted to look up at the figure above her. The figure crouched down. She gasped weakly. Where she had expected to see a face…_

_There was no face. Only a thin layer of wet blood covered where a face should have been._

_She hazily realized what was happening, as she felt the hot liquid dripping off of her back._

_She understood now._

_She collapsed to the ground, but found herself seeing thousands of images…hearing whispering voices…_

_A woman with long red hair, and blood spattering her face…_

_A tall, pale handsome dark-haired vampire…_

_There were people, no, voices whispering inside her head._

'_Fear is only a hindrance…'_

'…_have no haste…'_

'…_death will come to those who dare not speak…'_

'_The world shall not speak, not a sound, not a word…'_

'_Only…'_

'…_the sound…'_

'_of Death…'_

'_is heard…'_

'_SILENCE!'_

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Esther awoke, literally screaming st the tops of her lungs. She quickly covered her mouth, gasping and shaking, her eyes wide. She felt sick and feverish. This nightmare was nothing like before.

It almost literally seemed to speak of the future. Of Death. Of Silence.

There we go with that damn Silence again.

She could still hear that pained, venomous whispered word echoing in her ears, again, and again, and again. It wouldn't stop. The images, the pain, the fear, it kept replaying over and over again in her head.

She leaned back against the wall, trembling violently, one hand over her mouth. She felt like crying. No. She wouldn't cry. She. Would. Not. Cry.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Shuffle. Thud. Slam._

OF course, Ion had heard her bloodcurdling scream earlier. She felt like a bit of an idiot. Over a nightmare…

That was no ordinary nightmare… 

She quickly shook the ominous thought from her head.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth she rocked upon her bead, trying to keep it together, trying to calm down. She had seen her mother, and the vampire she had fallen in love with.

"Esther. Esther, are you alright?"

Ion grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, looking into her wide, dull blue eyes, searching for answers.

Esther tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't work.

She was trying so hard not to…but seeing Ion looking so frustrated and worried made her break down. Ashamed, she turned away from him, letting the tears flow freely down her face. How pitiful she must look. Pale, sweaty, covered in bandages and crying. Never had she felt so useless and weak before.

She swallowed hard, trying to suppress her tears, before she felt a pair of arms lift her from the bed.

She stopped crying in shock. Ion had lifted her effortlessly off of the bed as if she weighed no more than a pillow. Then again, he was stronger than most fully-grown men.

He was holding her firmly against him, his red eyes inscrutable. He was gazing down at her intently, before saying in a calm, steady voice, "What happened? From the way you were screaming, I though you were being murdered."

Esther exhaled heavily, and waited a moment before answering. "It felt like I was dying. It was—I was—I…" She shuddered, trying to pull herself together. She took several deep breaths before speaking again. "It was the Silence." She said in a hollow voice, looking directly into his eyes.

His red eyes widened slightly. "What's that?"

"They're evil beings. They aren't dead, they aren't alive. They aren't spirits, not even evil spirits. They are…well…Silence."

"I can't say I completely understand, but it doesn't matter now. You need your rest if you wish to recover, so please try to go back to sleep."

He put her back carefully on the bed and brushed the hair out of her face gently.

"Ion?" She whispered, unable to see him clearly in the dark and through her tears.

It was silent for a moment, then he finally responded. "Yes?"

"Will you…stay with me?"

"Yes. Of course. " And with that, he pulled a chair over by her bed and sat down in it.

She grabbed his hand, grateful for his presence. She was very tired, and longed to sleep, but was very afraid of what she might see. With fear in her heart, she closed her eyes, and found herself drifting off again…

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The Lord folded his hands beneath his chin. He knew what he would do. He had it all planned out.

First, the Earl of Memphis. He was a problem, and a big one at that. How to handle him had taken all night just to plan it.

He knew what he would do now. The Earl would never find himself again. That much he could promise.

As for the serial killer's daughter…he would torture her. Horribly. He would use her, destroy her, do whatever he saw fit. She never had known him, but she could be dealt with. Easily.

He just had to bribe someone else…

He descended the worn staircase, and finally found who he was looking for. The elderly librarian raised his head from his arms, and adjusted the monocle on his face. Once he had registered who it was, the man immediately sank into a deep bow, his monocle falling off.

"My Lord, what brings you to a place like this?"

"Where are your revival books?"

"W-what would you want with old nonsensical books like those, my lord?"

"They aren't nonsensical. And I have my own reasons."

"Ah…"

"I'll tell you who I want to revive if you bring them to me."

"Very well, my Lord."

The old librarian scampered off to the back room, and returned with a single, black leather bound book. It was very old, yet it looked brand new. The book was frightening. It carried some sort of dark aura.

"I'll tell you who I wish to revive, old man." He murmured, stroking the foreign symbols engraved upon the book's cover.

"I want to revive our serial killer, Lilia Blanchett, the Goddess of Death."

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Was that good? Please, please, PLEASE review! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I love the way it turned out. Much better than I thought.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!


	7. affection

Oh my gosh! I haven't updated in so long (or at least it seems that way) and I'm really sorry for those who have been waiting for an update. ;-;

There is a little bit of vomiting in this chapter, but it's not detailed at all. But if you can't stand the thought of it, feel free to skip the part. It's not long, really…

Well, please enjoy, I'll try to update sooner. (Truth is, I had a bit of writer's block and I also forgot. XD)

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—chapter six—

—affection—

Once in his chambers, the Lord pulled the strange, dark book from his cloak. It was almost time. Lilia would be his.

He caressed the book's cover, almost lovingly, as if it were a newborn child.

Even though Lilia Blanchett had never loved him, he had always loved her. Whenever he told her he loved her, she usually scoffed and criticized him in some way.

He hadn't complained though. Not ever.

Then she stabbed him in the back by running off with that damned vampire. He could still see that fanged smile, those shimmering amber eyes and wild hair. She had loved him, and he loved her back. She had a child, and he knew full well that it wasn't his, even though he tried to cover it up and say it was.

He knew many things, including that Lilia had sent her child away to be raised by an acquaintance, that her vampire love was killed by the guards, and that she killed herself after killing many of them.

Now, he hated her.

If he revived her, he would make her the way he wanted. The legendary killer, the Goddess of Death, would be under his control.

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_The wind whistled softly through the leaves. Esther found herself standing in a clearing, the dark, cool breeze pulling at her clothing and hair. Not a sound could be heard, other than the wind. Even when she took a step, no sound greeted her. Horrified, she clapped her hands and stomped her feet._

_Nothing._

_There was no one, nothing, absolute silence…_

_A soft rustling caused her head to snap up. There was noise. Someone was coming._

_She could see the faint outline of a person. _

_The person parted the gnarled branches of the bushes to reveal a pretty, pale-skinned face, clear blue eyes, and blood red hair that hung freely over her shoulders._

_She didn't know this face. Yet she did._

_It was like a reflection, staring back at her._

_But it wasn't. _

_It was her mother._

_Then, just as soon as she appeared, her mother vanished. All she heard was her mother's fading scream._

_Esther took a step back, gripping her face with her hands, only to find that they were wet._

_With trembling hands, she removed them from her face to find blood covering her whole palm._

_Her resounding scream echoed through the forest, then her world went black, and she was falling, feeling nothing but pain and terror._

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Esther sat up in bed, biting her hand to stifle her scream. She was breathing heavily and felt sick and weak all over. Next to her, sitting on a chair, Ion was slumped over, his face peaceful in sleep.

She didn't have the heart to wake him.

She made an attempt to get up, then tripped and flew forward, expecting to feel the unwelcoming hard wood of her floor, but instead found a pair of arms around her waist.

Her head was spinning uncontrollably. Why was she like this? Why?

She turned around.

"What were you trying to do?" His ruby-red eyes glinted in the darkness. They seemed luminous, like a cat's. His eyes calmed her for some reason.

She felt as if she couldn't speak. Instead, she lifted her eyes to meet his.

A concerned looked spread over his face. He seemed to guess the problem before she could even get her thoughts sorted out.

"Another nightmare?"

She gave the tiniest of nods.

He was silent for a while. Only when she felt her stomach clench with nausea did she speak up.

"I…need…to go the…b-bathroom," she barely managed to choke out.

He nodded quickly, half carrying her towards the restroom.

When she reached the restroom, she practically threw herself at he toilet, and began to throw up almost immediately.

Ion stood by the now closed door, his back to the door as his red eyes stared out into space.

When she was finished, Esther shakily pushed herself up, winced at her wounds, and hobbled over to the door. Ion was already there, helping her walk back to her bedroom.

Whatever that nightmare was about, it had scared the hell out of her. Ion couldn't be too sure if she was even completely awake yet.

She seemed to be in shock. She was paler than usual and couldn't seem to stop shaking. Her blue eyes were wide and frightened, and she stumbled a lot, leaning on him for support.

This didn't bother him. It only made him even more worried about her. He tried not to show it though; it may only make her more frightened.

He helped her into bed, but she didn't lie down, she sat straight up, her eyes still wide. She still shook, and he could tell she was on the verge of tears but was desperately trying to hold them in.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Eventually she stopped shaking and leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling instead.

"Do you need anything?"

She didn't even turn to him. "No thanks."

"What was it about?"

"Nothing of importance."

This irritated him ever so slightly. Of course it was of importance, considering how it had scared her so bad that she had to go vomit.

But, he shoved away his irritation and tried to be patient with her. Getting angry wouldn't help the situation any.

"Yes, it was of importance, Esther."

She finally turned to him, tears around the rims of her eyes, threatening to fall.

"I saw her, Ion." He voice was not above a whisper. "My mother. I saw her."

His eyes widened slightly. "Your…mother?"

"I never even knew her, and she's dead, so why…why am I having these dreams? Why? Why am I acting this way?" She let the tears fall now, but made no noise as they streamed down her face. "Why me? Couldn't it have been someone else?"

She reached for his hand, and when she did, her intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand gently.

She was breathing heavily, wiping the tears away from her eyes with the corner of her sleeve.

"Are you alright?"

She smiled weakly. Why he ever stayed near someone like her, she would never know.

"Much better, thank you."

He smiled back slightly in response.

"I don't want to sleep again."

He nodded in understanding as he stood p to help her up.

"What then?"

"Let's just…talk. It will help me clear my mind."

"Very well. Should I make tea?"

He began to help her stand up. "Yes, thank you, that would be nice."

Even though she was afraid, she didn't have to worry anymore.

She smiled as she thought about it.

Why did she have to worry when she had Ion around?

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A figure clad in a dark cloak sprinted towards another equally dark cloaked figure.

It leapt over dumpsters and random broken objects scattered throughout the alley. It moved with inhuman agility and grace. It wasn't human.

The first figure paused, panting, before the one who was already there.

"Well?" The second figure asked. From the voice, you could tell this person was a male.

"Sir," the first figure panted. It's voice showed that it was a male as well. "Sir, we've found them."

The second person seemed shocked. "You did find them?"

"Yes, of course. The girl with the blood-red hair. And of course the Methuselah was with them."

The first person paused as the second seemed to consider this information.

"Very well done, Arceus."

"S-sir?"

The second's golden eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"It's only a matter of time. If we find them, we've succeeded, Arceus."

The one called Arceus only nodded. "But what will you do, sir?"

The second figure faced Arceus full on. "Isn't it obvious? We will find her."

The alley was then abandoned.

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Well, sorry if the last part didn't make sense. Those two are Methuselah for those who couldn't tell, and will be very important later on.

Oh, and as for the name Arceus, I have no idea where I got that from, or if I just made it up. I don't know. But the pronunciation is below.

Arceus: Air-see-us

Please review!


	8. confrontation

I'm back! With more _Compression _goodness for those who have been waiting. To those who might have been impatient, sorry! I needed to plan this carefully and reread my story a couple of times.

Also, I don't own the name Arceus. Pokemon does. XD

Alright, enjoy!

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—chapter seven—

—confrontation—

Arceus looked nervously at his comrade. They were both Methuselah, but his friend was far more respected than he was. Arceus was also quite young, younger than most Methuselah, but because of his bloodline, he was also treated with mild respect.

It wasn't status that he cared about right now, though. His yellow-green eyes couldn't remain focused on anything; they were constantly moving, taking in every detail of their surroundings. It was his job to protect his comrade, so that's what he would do.

"Arceus, relax."

He immediately took a deep breath at his friend's request, trying to relax. It didn't help much, but he continued to try and calm down.

His golden eyes were fixed on him, and Arceus wanted to look away at his powerful gaze.

"I am trying to relax, Dorphus, but it feels like there are enemies at every corner."

He grinned. "I've never seen you this tense before, Arceus."

Arceus simply sighed and looked at the sky. It was past midnight, so they would have time to find the girl before that stupid Lord did.

"All we have to do now is find her house, sir."

"Right. Let's go then."

The two of them skirted along houses, glancing through their windows at the occupants, searching for her. There was still no sign of the young girl, and time was running short.

"Sir, there is one last house that is at the far end of town."

The golden-eyed Methuselah frowned. "Far end?"

"Yes, apparently the villagers aren't fond of her." Arceus grimaced.

Dorphus cursed under his breath. "Damn Terrans."

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Esther sipped her tea in silence while she watched Ion gaze out the window. She felt much better already, and that was good. Apparently Ion had sensed something or someone, and was 'standing guard' by her window.

Needless to say, nobody showed up. Of course, this made Ion unhappy. That meant his 'senses' were out of whack.

She settled herself more comfortable in her chair, placing the cup on the table while Ion searched desperately in the darkness for some kind of villain.

Alas, no such villain made himself or herself known.

Ion honestly seemed to believe that there was someone out there who meant them harm. She had always trusted him, so she remained just as trusting as she had ever been.

She closed her eyes. Whoever was supposedly coming really must be dangerous, or Ion wouldn't be so on edge.

At least nothing had happened. Well, not right away.

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With some difficulty, the two Methuselah reached the far end of the quaint little village. The house they approached was small and battered. Light could be seen shining faintly from the windows. The girl was home.

Arceus cautiously approached the house in front of his friend. She was home. It was time to move, there was no time to waste. This had been Dorphus' goal for as long as he could remember. Why did he hesitate now?

Dorphus swiftly stepped in front of him and knocked lightly upon the worn wooden door. Arceus saw movement at the window from the corner of his eye. No doubt about it. She was home. Or at the very least, _someone _was.

The door opened a crack. He sensed the Earl approaching, the Methuselah she was with. He probably felt extremely overprotective as soon as he sensed their presence. Arceus resisted the urge to chuckle.

The door fully opened. The red-haired girl was seated at a table several feet behind the Earl. She seemed confused, her eyes wide, and her mouth open slightly. He could faintly smell blood on her.

Dorphus shoved the Earl aside, stepping into the house. Arceus followed, closing the door and locking it. The Earl looked upset at this.

"Who are you?" He hissed in a dangerous voice.

Dorphus stepped forward and removed the hood of his cloak. Arceus did the same. Dorphus had wild, pale brown hair and bright amber eyes. He was taller than anyone in the room and had broad, powerful shoulders. He had a commanding air about him, and the expression upon his face was calm, set.

Arceus was about half a head shorter than Dorphus, and had vivid yellow-green eyes, almost like those of a cat. His messy, dirty blonde hair fell a few inches above his shoulders, and his bangs almost completely concealed one eye. Arceus too seemed powerful, and his face was alert, intent. Waiting for someone to make a move.

Ion's bitter expression never wavered. "Methuselah." His crimson eyes narrowed at the pair of unwelcome guests. "Why are you here?

"I'm afraid that's not your business, Earl." Dorphus strode calmly towards Esther, only to be blocked by Ion. The taller Methuselah chucked, his golden eyes flashing.

"I understand why you're so protective, but I only wish to have a word with her. Nothing more than that, I swear it."

Ion didn't appear to trust him at all. His body was tense and he looked ready to attack.

Arceus stepped quickly in front of the Earl. "Again, this is not your business. Just stay put and I won't have to harm you."

Ion still looked murderous. He probably doubted that Arceus could kill him. He was unusually protective of that girl. Apparently he didn't believe that they meant no harm to him or Esther.

Esther was beyond shocked. This tall, golden-eyed Methuselah wanted to speak with her. Did he know who she was? Probably. Then again, maybe he didn't know. But all the same, why would he want to speak with her?

"Esther Blanchett, am I right?" Dorphus took a seat at the table, the one opposite from her.

Esther nodded mutely, to surprised and curious to respond.

"As you have heard, I am Dorphus, and a Methuselah like you're friend here." Ion scowled at the reference to him.

Esther only nodded again, her wide blue eyes fixed on Dorphus' brilliant amber ones. Her mouth was pressed tightly closed and her body was stiff, alert, and tense. She didn't blink much, only stared in silence.

"Do you know what the Silence is?"

Esther gasped, her mouth opening slightly, before she closed it and nodded quickly.

"Do you know who the Goddess of Death is?" His voice was strangely silent and reverent at this.

Esther swallowed. "I…have never heard of someone like that."

Dorphus looked upset. "You never knew about your own mother?"

Damn. So he knew.

Esther looked down at her folded hands and took a slow, deep breath, before slowly exhaling. "I don't know much about her at all, except for the fact that she was one of the worst killers known in history. That she fell in love with a vamp—Methuselah, who tried to kill her. She then fell in love with a noble, supposedly had a child, then she was later hung by the guards for being found out."

A frown appeared upon Dorphus' face after her story. "Do you believe what you've heard?"

She too, frowned and looked down at the table. "Not entirely. It feels like someone's left something out, like an important piece of the story. I feel like someone's just thrown together a random story in order to explain what happened in my mother's short life. I don't understand it all, and probably never will, but if that's the only story I'll ever hear about my mother, what else is there to believe? I just don't know what to think anymore." She sighed at looked up at the ceiling. "But if there was another explanation, another story from another point of view, I would gladly want to hear it. So far, though, no other explanation has shown up."

Dorphus carefully kept his expression blank, his eyes intently upon Esther's face. "What if I told you that there was another story? Another story that is completely different from the version you've heard. What if this story was truth, while al of the others were lies. Would you believe me?"

Esther immediately looked back at Dorphus. Her eyes were wider than ever and her mouth was open again. After a few brief second, she closed her mouth and her eyes, and nodded slowly. "But one thing first." She slowly opened her eyes. "You need to tell me who you are, and how you know this story. If you knew my mother, I need to know what sort of role you played in her life, and how well you knew her." Esther took a few calming breaths. "And…who my real father is."

Dorphus looked straight into her eyes. "I can answer all of those questions. I am Dorphus Oric, a mercenary from the Empire. I know this story, and quite well because I was there. I knew your mother, very well. I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me. And as for your real father…" Dorphus cracked a smile at her stunned expression.

"I suppose that would be me."

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You guys like? Well, review please, sorry if my OC's are horrible, I needed an OC or two to fill those roles. :P

Well, be sure to tell me how I did on this, okay? Review! (Pretty please?)


	9. explanation

Guess what I noticed? People are either dying, or just totally ditching out on Ion and Esther! I know, I was one of them. But worry not friends; I'm updating all of my IonxEsther stories to show you I care!

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—chapter eight—

—explanation—

Esther's eyes were wide.

"My…father…?"

Dorphus nodded. "I'm your blood father."

"But…then…wouldn't I be…?"

Dorphus smiled a bit, understanding what she meant.

"No, you're a full human, don't worry."

She could only look at him, a thousand questions in her eyes.

"I suppose you'd like to know the story."

"Yes."

"Very well." Dorphus leaned back in the chair.

"This story is very long, so I suggest you make yourself comfortable."

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_It was a stormy day._

_  
Dorphus was sent on a mission to kill a fierce serial killer who was causing much trouble for the Empire and Vatican alike, so they had to take action._

_  
That, of course, was what he was for after all._

_He was young, strong, clever and fearless. What did he have to worry about some Terran serial killer? She may have killed others, but she certainly wasn't killing him anytime soon._

_He had a bodyguard hired for him, just in case things went wrong. Dorphus found the youngster irritating, and personally wanted him gone. But if it satisfied the Empress, he would deal with it._

_The bodyguard trailed after him now._

_  
"Can you not follow me so closely?" He snapped, glaring daggers at the other Methuselah whom he treated like a slave._

"_Forgive me sir, it's my duty from the Empress to follow you."_

_Dorphus grumbled but let it go._

_  
He was so, so close to her now. He could smell the adrenaline in her blood as she killed the man. He could smell the man's blood leaving his body. It was time to move._

_  
He stepped out from behind the wall, vanishing in an instant. He felt his bodyguard follow suit._

_  
He calmly threw off his hood and approached her. He was astounded to see how young she looked, and how innocent she still appeared even though her face was splattered with blood._

_For whatever reason, she didn't seem shocked to see them. She was cleaning the blood off of her weapon: a slender, silver axe._

_  
"Good evening, gentleman. Is there something you need?"_

_She looked up at them then, and he could see her entire face. She had hair as red as the blood that she was cleaning off of her axe, and her eyes…blue as the ocean near them. Her face held no fear as she looked directly into the eyes of a Methuselah mercenary._

"_Actually yes, Goddess of Death, is it?"_

_She stopped cleaning her axe to smile innocently up at him. "That's right. And what business might two handsome young Methuselah like yourselves have with little old me?"_

_Dorphus smiled a cold smile. "Let's drop the pleasantries. I'm sure you understand."_

_The smile never left her face. "That I do. But I've got a few words for you two."_

_Suddenly she smirked, making her face look evil. "I'd like to see you try."_

_  
Dorphus scowled at this. "I'll try, and I'll succeed."_

_  
The two glared at each other, while the bodyguard shifted in obvious discomfort._

"_I'll meet you at the bridge, tomorrow night, Goddess. Don't be late."_

_  
She winked playfully at him. "I'm always on time."_

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Esther gazed wide-eyed at Dorphus.

The four were seated on Esther's couches, Ion sitting protectively next to her, and Arceus sitting erect directly to Dorphus' right.

"That's how I met her. The Goddess of Death, Lilia Blanchett."

"But…how did you fall in love? It seems like you two hated one another."

Dorphus grinned. "Oh, we hated each other, and very passionately at that. It's just that at every meeting…we could never quite kill the other. Then one night, we suddenly kissed. A strange, strange way to fall in love, by anyone's standards, but that's how it happened. I have no idea the story became so twisted to say that I hated her completely, even though for a time, I did.

She and I continued our secret meeting, until one day, Lilia found out that her mother wanted to marry her off…and that she was pregnant."

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"_Dorphus!"_

_Lilia practically tackled the Methuselah to the ground._

_He wrapped his arms around her. "What is it Lilia?"_

_  
"My mother…" She scowled. "My mother wants me to marry a lord. According to her, the man is head over heels in love with me. Ha!" She snorted._

_A frown creased his forehead. "A lord?"_

"_Yeah, that's right. Some nigh and mighty rich guy, no doubt. I'm sure he's some loser who's only after my fame. I mean, really, who would fall in love with a serial killer?"_

_  
"I did."_

_She flushed lightly. "That's not the point. I've never even met that guy."_

_  
"Then kill him."_

_  
She smiled softly. "That seriously does sound pretty nice, but I've just remembered, something else I've wanted to tell you…" She furrowed her brow, biting her lip and looking away from him._

_  
"Yes? Lilia, what is it"_

"_I…um…well…" She gave an awkward laugh._

"_I'm pregnant, Dorphus."_

_Astonishment took over his features. "But…then…"_

"_I know, I know, no one can find out. But don't worry, I've got connections, I can send the baby away."_

"…_Very well."_

"_And another thing, Dorphus?"_

_  
"Yes?"_

"_I'm to meet the lord, tonight. So it's best I be leaving now." She smiled softly at him before pecking him on the lips and running quickly away._

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"So…she met him?"

"Yes. She did. She was forced to continue visiting him for almost a year…of course, by then, the lord noticed she was pregnant. You can bet things got very ugly."

"How did she die?"

He sighed. "You would…understand…this is difficult for me to talk about." He sighed, massaging his temples. "But of course, this would probably be difficult for you to hear about, so I suppose that makes us even." He smiled wryly.

"Prepare yourself, it may be hard on you."

Esther nodded, looking determined. Ion wrapped one arm around her shoulder, saying nothing.

She was ready to hear about her own birth, and at the same time…her mother's death.

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_The lord sat comfortably in his chambers, waiting for Lilia to arrive._

_  
When she strode through the doors, obviously pregnant, he sighed heavily._

_  
"Lilia dearest, I'm sure you understand why you're here."_

_  
"Not quite, actually."_

_  
He sighed again. "Who is the father of your unborn child?"_

_  
"I'm afraid that's none of your business." She calmly flipped a long red lock of hair over her shoulder._

_  
"You know I love you, right?"_

_  
She rolled her eyes. "Right, right, and I love a cow."_

_He frowned, dark eyes intent upon her. "I'm asking so I can save you."_

_  
"Save me from what? A marriage I don't want?" She rolled her eyes again. "Coming here is so stupid."_

_  
"You should not speak so insolently to me."_

_  
"Pfft. I've got every right to."_

_  
"You're far to arrogant for your own good, Lilia."_

"_Hm."_

"_Well, it seems you've left me with no choice. Guards, imprison her."_

_  
Whatever she was expecting, it obviously wasn't this. With wide blue eyes, the nine months pregnant woman was carried off to a prison cell._

_Meanwhile, back at their usual meeting place, Dorphus waited. And waited. And kept on waiting. Lilia never appeared._

_  
He recalled her once telling him that if she never showed up to meet him one night, she was in serious trouble. Knowing her, she probably was. And tonight, she was to visit the lord. What could have happened? Something horrible, no doubt._

_  
Dorphus had become closer to his young bodyguard, on Lilia's request, so he forced himself to remember his name._

_  
"Arceus." The young bodyguard seemed shocked that Dorphus was even speaking to him._

_  
"Yes, sir?"_

_  
"We must go. To the lord's palace tonight. Bad things could happen to Lilia."_

_Arceus nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir."_

_The two Methuselah raced to the palace to find Lilia imprisoned. _

_There was bloodshed that night. _

_As well as an inhumanly fast cloaked figure carrying a crying infant into the night…_

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"I apologize. I'd rather not go into detail about her death." He bowed his head.

"Needless to say, we found her, yes, but the lord's guards appeared, and we got into a fight. That is, to say, Arceus and I. Lilia got dragged into it, and in her condition, it was a wonder you were born at all.

"The guards accidentally killed Lilia, and the lord was rumored to have gone into madness. He later spread a rumor about what really happened that night, and even spread the news that she had had a daughter…but with him instead. He wants claims on you, but for what reason, I cannot say.

"He hates me, I know that much, so he made the rumor that Lilia and I were enemies, and that I tried to kill her." He chuckled. "Well, it is true, I did try to kill her, but I never succeeded. She was amazingly talented and fast for a Terran."

Esther was silent after all of this. "So that's how it all happened…"

Dorphus sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "Yes, it's your perfect story with a sad ending. drama, violence, and even romance." He gave a weak chuckle, and then sighed.

"Sir." Arceus' voice startled everyone; he had been so silent. "Sir, we should be going, before the sunrise."

Dorphus stood silently. "Very well. Farewell, Esther, it was truly nice to see you again." He smiled wistfully, almost longingly. "You really do look so much like her. It reminds of how much I really did love her."

With that, the two Methuselah swept out of her house.

There was silence, then Ion decided to break it.

"Are you alright?" He gently squeezed her shoulder, worry in his crimson eyes.

She sighed, relaxing into his gentle touch. "I guess. It's nice to finally know thr truth about everything. But…still. The daughter of a Methuselah and a serial killer! I'm sure the townspeople would have a field day with that one!" She laughed weakly; the sound had an edge of hysteria.

He turned her face towards him. "You're not alright, are you." It was a statement.

She smiled weakly, then buried her face in his shoulder, shaking with silent sobs. He wrapped both arms around her, stroking her hair in silent comfort.

The road ahead would be long and hard for the two of them, with much pain and fear lying just steps ahead.

He would have to be there for her.

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Compression update! Go me! I feel so satisfied with that chapter. Now I get down to the good stuff of the plot now that her past is out of the way. Alright, review, and be ready for the next chapter!


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